This invention relates a vehicular communication apparatus, communication method and computer-readable storage medium which, in the event of a vehicular accident, can store, at a safe external location, video data in which the circumstances of the accident have been recorded, and which moreover can notify of the occurrence of the accident.
Further, this invention relates a dealing method after the vehicle accident using the communication apparatus and communication method.
The specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-64565 discloses art in which an automobile is equipped with an apparatus for recording the operating conditions of the automobile and, in the event of an accident, the circumstances such as the external environment at the time. After the accident, the recorded data can be retrieved. This is similar to a black box that is used in aircraft but in this case is applied to an automotive vehicle.
Further, the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-257495 discloses an apparatus for recording the circumstances of an accident. The apparatus discriminates a vehicular accident by exploiting the detection characteristics of a yaw-rate sensor and stores data prevailing at the time of the accident in storage means.
Further, the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-165661 discloses art in which the interior of a traveling automobile is provided with an apparatus that records the constantly changing operating status and present position of the vehicle. If it is sensed that the vehicle has had an accident, the apparatus transmits a signal indicative of this fact to a base station. The specification further describes that the apparatus photographs the surrounding conditions by a CCD camera and sends the base station image data indicative of these conditions via the Internet.
Further, the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-57467 discloses art in which when a person becomes trapped in an automobile, an external base station is notified of the fact.
The prior-art described above is used in a special-purpose accident recording apparatus and notification apparatus. Apparatus of these kinds are costly, can be employed only in trucks for business purposes and in upscale passenger cars and are difficult to employ in ordinary passenger cars of the popular type.
When a death or serious injury occurs as the result of a vehicular accident, most of the times the vehicle involved is a compact, ordinary car of little strength. As a consequence, a driver or passenger of such an ordinary car not equipped with such an accident recording apparatus and notification apparatus often is at a disadvantage because the individual cannot fully assert his or her own viewpoint of the accident.
In other words, there is need for a system that can be employed in an ordinary automobile and that is capable of recording and reporting the circumstances of an accident satisfactorily.
Further, in the prior art described above, art such as the recording and transmission of accident data is disclosed. However, no consideration is given to negotiations for compensation following an accident or to processing procedures following an accident. This means that the driver of a vehicle equipped with the above-described apparatus cannot expect to enjoy the advantage of immediate action. As a consequence, such apparatus will not find widespread use in society.
Furthermore, with the prior art disclosed in the specifications of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 6-64565 and 9-257495, there is the danger that recorded data will be lost if the vehicle is destroyed by fire or suffers extensive damage in the event of a major accident such as one involving death. It is necessary, therefore, that recorded data be sent to an external, safe location immediately.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive vehicular communication apparatus, communication method and computer-readable storage medium capable of transferring image data containing a record of an accident to a safe, external location, the apparatus being usable in an ordinary automotive vehicle.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing a vehicular communication apparatus mounted on an automotive vehicle, comprising: an image sensing device; a data storage device for storing image data that has been captured by the image sensing device; a sensor for sensing impact; a portable-terminal holding device in which a portable terminal is capable of being placed; and an operation controller which, if impact has been sensed by the sensor, is for notifying a prescribed party via the portable terminal unless the portable terminal is removed from the portable-terminal holding device within a predetermined period of time.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing a vehicular communication apparatus mounted on an automotive vehicle, comprising: an image sensing device; a data storage device for storing image data that has been captured by the image sensing device; a sensor for sensing impact; a portable-terminal holding device in which a portable terminal is capable of being placed; and an operation controller which, if impact has been sensed by the sensor, is for transmitting, to the outside via the portable terminal placed in the portable-terminal holding device, image data that has been stored in the data storage device, and which, if impact has been sensed by the sensor when the portable terminal placed in the portable-terminal holding device is in a communicating state, is for severing this communication and transmitting the image data to the outside.
Further, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the foregoing objects are attained by providing a communication method implemented by installing, in an automotive vehicle, an image sensing device, a data storage device for storing image data that has been captured by the image sensing device, a sensor for sensing impact, and a portable-terminal holding device in which a portable terminal is capable of being placed, wherein if impact has been sensed by the sensor, a prescribed party is notified via the portable terminal unless the portable terminal is removed from the portable-terminal holding device within a predetermined period of time.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing a communication method implemented by installing, in an automotive vehicle, an image sensing device, a data storage device for storing image data that has been captured by the image sensing device, a sensor for sensing impact, and a portable-terminal holding device in which a portable terminal is capable of being placed, wherein if impact has been sensed by the sensor, image data that has been stored in the data storage device is transmitted to the outside via the portable terminal placed in the portable-terminal holding device, and wherein if impact has been sensed by the sensor when the portable terminal placed in the portable-terminal holding device is in a communicating state, this communication is severed and the image data is transmitted to the outside.
The present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the above-described communication method.
In the present invention as described above, the driver of an automotive vehicle places his or her own portable terminal such as a cellular telephone in a portable-terminal holding device provided within the vehicle. The latest image data sent from a camera device such as a CCD camera installed inside the vehicle is stored in a data storage device. If impact is sensed by a sensor, the cellular telephone is placed in a communicating state automatically and the image data that has been stored in the data storage device is transmitted via the cellular telephone to a data processing apparatus operated by an insurance company or the like.
Furthermore, if, after the transmission of the image data, the cellular telephone is not removed from the portable-terminal holding device upon elapse of a predetermined period of time, the police, etc., can be notified of the accident automatically via the cellular telephone. In other words, if an accident is minor and does not necessarily warrant a report to the police, etc., the driver can select whether or not to report the accident. This makes it possible to take steps that more closely conform to real situations.
Other objects and advantages besides those discussed above will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of preferred embodiments of the invention which follow. In the description, reference is made to accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof, and which illustrate an example of the invention. Such example, however, is not exhaustive of the various embodiments of the invention, and therefore reference is made to the claims which follow the description for determining the scope of the invention.